298 BOTANY. 



Mercury, In Spirit of Wine. With this the learned Presi- 

 dent of the Linnean Society, washed his whole collection, 

 and remarks, that since he so did, he has not seen any ap- 

 pearance of insects in the collection : the proportion is about 

 two drachms to a pint, to which may be added a little 

 Camphor : the liquor should be applyed with a Caicel-hair 

 pencil, as lightly as possible ; the receptacles of compound 

 flowers, and the more fleshy parts of plants should be satu- 

 rated with it. The colours of plants are greatly revived 

 by this application, and Sir J. Smith remarks he does not 

 find any that are injured by it. This preparation he also 

 recommends to preserve collections of Insects, Birds, Fruits, 

 and Fungi. 



The most convenient form for a herborizing box is the 

 one represented at fig. 2, Plate 7, it will be found an im- 

 provement on the general form, to have one end of the box to 

 draw off, by which larger specimens can be admitted without 

 risk of breaking. Both the in and out sides should be japau- 

 ned, to prevent their rusting ; and the lid must be made to 

 fit as close as possible, for the purpose of excluding air. 



In making drawings or descriptions of plants, the follow- 

 ing particulars should be most carefully attended to. 

 The form of the root, as fibrous, bulbous, tuberous, 

 granulated, or spindle shaped ; the form of the stems or 

 trunk? in Trees, of stalks in herbaceous or shrubby Plants, 

 if they be simple or branched, smooth, woolly, or hairy, if 

 the hairs incline upwards or downward ; the shape and tex- 

 ture of the leaves, whether sessile, or furnished with foot- 

 stalks, whether they be simple or compound, if flat, cylin- 



